It really does start with footskills. Scrimmages are fun, but the kids need to develop confidence and comfort on the ball in order to get anything out of the scrimmages. Doing footskills early in the practice, while you still have the players’ attention, is a great way to begin training. We mentioned on the “Coerver” page how you have access to Coerver videos of various moves. But here is much, much more…

THE BIG LIST

Decatur Sports has a long and highly useful list of footskills defined and explained. It also includes some games you can play to emphasize what the players have learned. Find it here:

It’s great to read about them, but it’s better to see them. StrongSoccer.com has a host of short clips exhibiting various footskills. These are great to use to warm up your team at the beginning of practice. Remember, start slowly. Encourage kids not to run through these drills. We want them to do the moves correctly, then work on pace.

If you want to see very cool skills videos, you should check out the BBC’s “SportAcademy” online, where you’ll find free soccer (aka “football”) training videos. Some of the world’s great players, such as Ronaldhino, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham, teach you about bending the ball, volleying, and even goalkeeping. Better still, some videos even include snappy Brazilian music. Go to:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/skills/default.stm